


And You Held My Hand in Yours

by Larkawolfgirl



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Asexual Character, Fluff, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Canon, Relationship Negotiation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-03 14:02:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11533737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larkawolfgirl/pseuds/Larkawolfgirl
Summary: Written for Sormik week 2017. When Sorey talks Mikleo into sneaking into the ruins at night, Mikleo's emotions come out to play.





	And You Held My Hand in Yours

**Author's Note:**

> This started for day 1's prompto innocence but ended up touching on protection, loss, time, promises, acceptance, and fate as well.

Sorey threaded their fingers together for the tenth time since waking. Mikleo was at his most beautiful when asleep, hair ruffled at odd angles, face at complete peace. Watching him in the streaming light of early morning might be Sorey’s favorite thing to do, if he was the sort of person to decide on a favorite. Eventually, Mikelo stirred, mouth parting in a tiny groan, eyes squeezing shut before opening fully.

“Morning,” Sorey beamed, flexing his fingers against his.

“Morning,” Mikleo croaked, much less chipper. He wasn’t exactly a morning person. He lay there for a few more minutes, just snuggling into the pillow and holding onto Sorey’s hand. Sorey, of course, didn’t mind in the slightest.

“Come on,” he said finally, “we have an early morning lesson today.”

“Ah, the best kind,” Mikleo complained weakly. He sat up, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “What?” he asked at Sorey’s undivided attention.

“You’re just so pretty.”

Mikleo turned his face away in embarrassment. “As if. My hair’s an absolute mess.”

“I like it that way.”

Mikleo’s fingers twitched before breaking away from his. “Anyway, we better get ready.”

It was a fun yet uneventful day as usual. The sun shone in a brilliantly blue sky and birds chirped lilting melodies into the breeze. Sorey breathed the fresh air in; he never got tired of this atmosphere. Mikleo righted himself and stretched his muscles from their long meditation. “Hey, what do ya say we go down to the stream?”

Ever the water bug. Sorey grinned. “Yeah. I’ve gotta get you back for last time.”

Mikleo huffed. “As if you could ever beat a water seraph with his own element.”

“Oh yeah? Just you wait.” With that, Sorey took off running in an unspoken race to the mentioned stream.

As usual, Sorey won, but Mikelo wasn’t far behind. He panted to catch his breath. “How does that never tire you out?”

“Because I have an endless supply of energy?” That’s what Gramps always said.

“You’re a freak of nature.”

Sorey knelt down, flicking water up onto Mikleo’s unprepared face. He laughed at the seraph’s sour expression. “I’m your freak of nature.”

“You are so on!”

They splashed back and forth until the sun was down and they were both sore in the cheek from laughing. Finally, out of energy, Sorey slumped against Mikleo’s side. “We should probably head back now.”

“Probably.” There was some disappointment in his voice.

“Or,” Sorey said excitedly, “we could sneak out of the village for the night.”

“Gramps would kill us.”

Sorey shrugged. “There’re worse ways to go.” Mikleo frowned. “Come on, we could check out those ruins Gramps refuses to let us go to.”

“I don’t know…”

Sorey touched his fist to his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!”

 

It should have been the other way around. Honestly, what would Sorey even do against a Hellion. Sure, he could use a sword, but that would be useless against a Hellion. If push came to shove, it would fall on Mikleo to save them. Knowing all of this, Mikleo still allowed Sorey to drag him off to the ruins as the sun set behind them. Sorey was grasping his hand again, and despite the situation, it was reassuring that Sorey really would try his best to protect him. It was never a question of trust. Mikleo would never hesitate to put his life in Sorey’s hands. Nor to risk it for his sake, for that matter.

Given the time of day, the ruins were dark, lit only by the few flickering torches previous excavators had been too lazy to put out. It was disconcerting, and Mikleo found himself squeezing at Sorey’s hand. The dark used to be his biggest fear, and even after all these years, it was still not a fear he had gotten over completely.

Noticing his discomfort, Sorey snatched one of the torches and held it out in front of them. “Is that better?”

Mikleo’s chest warmed. “Yeah,” he said with a nod.

“Whoa!” Sorey exclaimed rushing them over to the far wall. “Look at these writings.” He released Mikleo’s hand to finger the inscription. “It looks like something about a fertility ritual.”

As Sorey lost himself to curiosity, Mikleo placed a hand to his face. He felt suddenly overwhelmed with embarrassment. They were alone together all the time, but something about the atmosphere felt different. They were on a secret rendezvous in what might have been a temple for fertility with mood lighting no less. It wasn’t that Mikleo wanted something to happen exactly, but he couldn’t expel the thought from his head. If something were to happen between them, wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity?

At some point Sorey must have realized he zoned out because he was staring at him in confusion. “Something the matter? I thought you’d be more excited.”

Yeah, well, that wasn’t exactly the issue. “I’m fine,” he said in a deadpan voice.

Sorey wasn’t backing down. “Mikleo, look at this! It’s fascinating.”

Mikleo shook his head in a failed attempt to clear it. “Yeah. Sorry.” He stepped closer, inspecting the wall himself. It really was fascinating, unlike any fertility ritual he had ever read about. The people seemed to have believed the temple to be a sacred place where hearts would join for eternity onward. But of course, this realization brought his embarrassment back on even stronger.

“Mikleo?”

“Yeah?”

“Want to go further in?”

He nodded, quietly taking his free hand again. Perhaps it was just because of his train of thought, but somehow Sorey’s hold felt stronger and his stomach was fluttering without reason.

When they came across a set of sacred statues, Sorey let out a whistle. They were magnificent works of art. Two women and two men, naked as the day they were born, yet posed with only a subtle hint of sensuality. Sorey began to give them a closer examination, but Mikleo had to force himself to swallow normally.

“Do you think there was a reason Gramps didn’t want us to come in here?”

“He’s overprotective,” he answered without any real thought.

“Yeah, but what if he believes in the temple?”

Sorey turned back toward him, studying him now like he had been the statues. “Do you?”

Mikleo took a step back. Did he or was this just bringing his hopes to light? “I just think we might want to consider what we are doing.”

Sorey’s lips thinned into a straight line. “What’s there to consider?”

“How this might change things,” he admitted quietly.

Then Sorey was right in front of him, face entirely serious. He dropped the torch to take hold of his shoulders. “What do you think’s going to happen?”

“I’m afraid of what might not,” he said only realizing the truth of the statement once it was out of his mouth.

It took a while for Sorey to take it in. He licked his lips before replying. “Mikleo, you are worrying for nothing.”

Mikleo ground his teeth together. His voice came out harsher than he meant it to. “But don’t you want to?”

Sorey dropped his hands. “Do I have to?”

If Mikleo’s emotions weren’t already doing flip flops this would have done the trick. “What do you mean?”

“Is that what you want?”

“I…don’t know.”

“Okay.” Sorey turned back toward the statues but his excitement had dissolved.

“Sorey,” Mikleo reached out for him but dropped his hand before making contact. What exactly had just happened? He had always taken the fact they were a couple for granted. What if Sorey didn’t feel the same way? Had he overstepped his ground? Suddenly, his hand felt cold and lonely. “I didn’t mean to make this awkward.”

Sorey turned back to him slowly. “No, sorry. It’s my fault. If that’s really what you want then, okay.”

“No,” he burst out quickly. “I mean, I don’t know what I want. I just, are we a couple?”

Sorey blinked before giving a gentle chuckle. “Of course, silly.”

“Then, I don’t get it. Don’t _you_ want to?”

“To be honest, no. I like the way things are.”

Somehow this small confession released all the tension that had built since they entered the ruins. He let his hand find Sorey’s yet again. They didn’t need some fertility ritual for their hearts to connect. “To be honest, I’m relieved. I was just overthinking everything.”

“You sure you’re fine like this, too?”

He didn’t even need to think about it. “Yeah. This is perfect.” His hand tightened on Sorey’s as they walked farther into the waiting darkness.

                                                             

Sorey would be gone tomorrow. Mikleo would be left alone for who knows how long, and his mind and heart were stuttering with too much emotion. Their roles had reversed. Sorey’s usual overly expressiveness had turned into a cheery façade for his sake, and as much as Mikleo normally bottled his own emotions, they were leaking from rips too large to maintain. Sorey continued to smile that painful smile as tears sprung to Mikleo’s eyes and he gripped onto the shepherd’s shirt collar. His face fell into his chest and strong hands cradled his head and back in what was meant to be comforting but only ripped his wounds further. This time tomorrow, these hands would not find him.

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Sorey kissed the top of his head and Mikleo’s body gave a shudder.

Things had been fine, they had. He truly felt he understood Sorey and that their hearts had connected enough that they would stay bound for eternity. Yet, now he needed more. He needed more assurance. “What if you forget?”

The pretense of a smile fell from Sorey’s face, replaced by hopeful uncertainty. “It won’t matter. I’ll remember when I see you again.”

Such an optimist till the end. Mikelo raised his head and wiped at his tears. “Sorey,” he said in a gruff tone, “we both know things could go horribly wrong. This might be the last time we even see each other.”

Sorey ceased hiding his turmoil now. “What can I do to make this easier?”

Mikleo took his hand. “Do you remember that night in the Temple of Union? You said that if I wanted, you wouldn’t mind doing it. Would you still?”

“Yeah.” Sorey nodded before leaning in to kiss him.

Mikleo wrapped his arms around his back, holding on tight. His nerves sang out where their bodies touched. It would be alright, they sang. They would carve the very blueprint of themselves into each other so that nothing, even years of emptiness, could make them forget.

                                                            

Every once in a while, when he was missing Sorey particularly strongly, Mikleo would visit the Temple of Union again. He would read the inscription on the wall in the entrance way and feel his heart beat in remembrance. He looked at the iconic statues and heard Sorey’s excited gasp in his ears. He ventured further, feeling Sorey’s fingers ghosting his own all the way to the temple’s dais where the bronze lovers stood in the shape of a yin yang. Mikleo would spend the night there just like that first time, and in his dreams, Sorey was there beside him.  

It was in the mid-morning after one of these days that Mikleo was met with the unexpected on his exit. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sure that it must be a sleep apparition—but, no. Sorey was truly standing there in front of him. Brown hair, now long with a bit of a wave, green eyes like emeralds, and unmistakable golden feather earrings.

Before thinking on it, his hand was fingering at one earring. It was as light and downy as he remembered and a fraction of a smile curved at his lips. “Is it really you?”

Sorey was devoid of emotion. “Who are you?”

The smile fell from Mikleo’s face. “Mikleo. Don’t you remember?” Pain jolted through his chest. Somehow, he had always known this would be the outcome.

Sorey shook his head causing the earrings to flutter like real wings. “You seem familiar.”

The breath caught in Mikleo’s throat. He reached out hesitantly. Lacing their fingers together, he studied the other man’s expression. He neither pulled away nor reciprocated, just stared on in blank contemplation.

 _No_ , his mind screamed. _You must remember!_

 _He will. He will_ , his body assured.

Closing his eyes, Mikleo pressed his forehead to Sorey’s. This time Sorey did react. His entire body jolted as if electrocuted. Mikleo snapped his eyes open in worry only to be met with a tearful expression.

“Mik…leo?” he murmured quietly.

“Yeah,” he answered shakily, “that’s right.”

Then Sorey was kissing him with chaste lips and gentle hands. The shuddering of his body stilled as it wrapped fuller around him. His mouth broke away to find his ear.

“I told you I would remember.”

Mikleo choked on his laugh.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't know how to explain this well in the story, so if it is unclear, they are both asexual in this, but Mikleo is more on the gray scale. Basically, Sorey has no interest in sex at all while Mikleo just doesn't really want to have it. In the beginning, Mikleo was embarrassed by the idea of having sex but he would have been willing to do it for Sorey just like how Sorey was willing to do it for Mikleo. Later, Mikleo wanted to do it for the feeling of closeness it brought.


End file.
